Folding furniture



April 9, 1957 w. L. SHEPHERDsoN FOLDING FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed OCT.. 28, 1955 lil INVENTOR. LLM L. .S/EP/ZSV- ATTORNEY.

April 9, 1957 w. 1 sHEPHERDsoN 2,788,050

` FOLDING FURNITURE Filed oct. 28, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 HW L1' mail m4# F/g. l5

INVENTOR,

WILL/AM Z. SHEPHEEZZYOM www@ M ATTORNEY.

FOLDING FURNITURE Wiliiam L. Shepherdson, Phoenix, Ariz., assigner of sixtysAix and two-thirds percent to J. E.- Meacham, Phoenix,

riz.

Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,507

6 Claims. (Cl.- 155-148) rigid positive manner and which at the same time holds the furniture unit in folded up condition in a similar rigid self containedl manner for easy handling and manipulation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for quickly enabling the folding together of the various elements of the furniture piece together with means for locking and holding the various elements in folded up condition to prevent their coming apart during rough handling and transporting of the folded furniture unit.

Still another object of this invention is to provide strategically arranged hinging and latching elements in a folding furniture unit which functions both to lock the furniture element in rigid open position and also to hold the various furniture elements in folded condition when being transported or stored.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair furniture unit incorporating the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the underside of the chair when in folded up condition.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig; 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, but showing the chair in opened up condition.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2'.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the side rail locking apparatus indicated on line 6 6 in Fig. 4, showing the apparatus in opened locked position.

Fig..7 is a View on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a view of a folding table furniture unit incorporating the features of this invention.

Fig. l1 is an enlarged View of the bottom of the table when in folded condition.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged section on the line 12 12 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged section on the line 13 13 of Fig. 1'1- but showing the table legs in unfolded open position.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged section on the line 1'4-14 of Fig. 111..

nited States Patent() Patented Apr. 1957 there is shown a chair having a seat 15 to the underside 16 of which is iiXed the hinge plates 17 by' suitable screws 18. A U-shaped support wire 19 has' its end 20 journaled in the hinge portions 21 of the plates 17 and has a parallel portion 22 journaled in the hinge portion' 23 of the hinge plate 24 which is fixed to theV bottom surface 25 of the front rail 26, the front legs 27 of the chair being rigidly fixed' to the outer ends of the rail 26. The top ends of the front legs 27 have dowel pins 28 which may be inserted into the dowel holes 29 in the underside 16 of the seat as the front leg frame 26 27 is opened out from its folded positionf shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 to opened position shown in Fig. 4 by swinging it on the support Wire 19.

The chair has a pair of rear legs 30 rigidly connected together by the back 31 and rigidly connected together intermediate their ends by the rear rail 32 to which rail is fixed the hinge plates 33 by suitable screws 34. A C-shaped support wire 35 is journaled in the hinge portion 36 of the hinge plates 33 and has its outer ends 37 journaled in the hinge portions 38 of the hinge plates 39 fixed to the underside 16 of the seat I5 by suitable screws 40. The upper edge 41 of the rear rail 32 is provided with a tongue 42 which is adapted to enter a groove 43 formed in the underside of the seat 15 when the back leg assembly .3@ 31-32 is swung on the C-shaped support Wire from the folded position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to the open position shown in Fig. 4.

Each of the side rails 44 is rigidly secured to the bracket piece 45 by suitable screws 46 which bracket in turn is pivotally mounted on the hinge pins 47 of the links 48, which links in turn are pivotally mounted on the hinge pins 49 supported on the plate 50 secured to the bottom of the seat 15 by suitable screws 51. The bracket piece 45 has detent lugs 52 having detent projections 53 adapted to engage the mating detent holes 54 in the lugs 55 of the plate 50 so as to hold the side rails securely in the folded up position against the under side of the seat as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3.

Pivotally mounted on a pin 56 carried in the bracket 45 is the latch piece 57 normally swung from released position 57a to latched position 57 by a tension spring 58 whereupon the abutment lug 59 engages over the head of screw 60 so as to rigidly hold the side rails in outward engaged position with the leg assemblies. The abutment edge 61 of the latch piece 57 engaging the bracket 45 limits the outward swinging movement of thev latch piece 57 to the locking position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. A detent lug 62 on the latch piece 57 has a detent projection 63 which engages the detent hole 64 of the detent lug 65 of the bracket 45, serves to hold the latch piece 57 in retracted position 57a.

It is important to note that lugs 66, Fig. 8:, are formed on the bracket 45 which fulcrum down behind mating lugs 67 on the plate 50 which cooperate with the latch piece in forcing the side rails 44 into locked position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The ends of the side rails 44 may be provided with any suitable inter-engaging ele ments 68a and 69a, Fig. 6, for example, such as shown in my patent.

Apparatus is provided to secure the front leg assembly 26-27 and the rear leg assembly 30 31 32 rigidly to the underside of the seat 15 when in folded up p0- sition shown in Figs. 2 andv 3. Thus apparatus has a sliding cam bar 68 arranged to slide longitudinally on a suitable guideway 69 carried on the underside of the seat 115. A pair of locking` cranks 70 are pivotally mounted on the hinge portions 71 of the hinge plates 17 and have cam engaging portions 72 which operatively' engage the cam slots 73 of the sliding cam bar 68. The opposite ends of the locking cranks 70 have restraining portions 74 which swing up over the bottom ends of the legs 30 when in folded up position, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, when the cam bar 68 is moved outwardly to bring the portions 72 in the raised straight portion 75 of the cam slots 73. As the portions 72 approach the ends 75a of the slots, a latching screw 76 fixed in the cam bar 68 has its head engaged in a notch 77 formed in the hinge plate 24 so as to lock the front leg assembly 26-27 in folded position in Figs. 2 and 3.

A manual operating knob 78 is mounted on a lever 79 pivotally mounted at 80 on the cam bar 68 and when depressed against the compression spring 80a releases the index pin 81 from the index hole 82 in the seat so that the cam bar can be moved to locked position or reengagement of the locking pin with the index hole 83, see Fig 4.

In Fig. is shown a folding table with a top 84a having C-shaped link hinges 84 connected to the end rail 85 having the legs,86 fixed to the ends thereof and the C- shaped link hinges 87 connected to the end rail 88 having the legs S9 fixed to the ends thereof. Suitable folding side rails 90 are mounted each with two of the devices shown in Figs. 6 and 7 on the underside of the top 84a of the table. With the side rails 90 folded as shown in Figs. l1 and l2, the leg assemblies 85-86 and 88-89 may be folded one over the other as best shown in Fig.l2.

In order to hold the leg assemblies in folded up position shown in Figs. 1l and 12 there is provided a rock shaft 90a journaled in suitable bearing supports 91 and 92 secured to the underside of the top 84a of the table. A compressing and tension spring 93 serves to normally urge the rock shaft 90a toward the respective leg assemblies to be engaged, which leg assemblies have bores 94 for one assembly and 94a for the other to be engaged by the oiset ends 95 on the rock shafts 90a. Suitable manipulating handle `portions 96 are formed on the inner ends of the rock shafts 90a. By pulling back on the handles 96 to retract the end 95 from the bores 94 or 94a and rotating the rock shaft 90a from the position shown in Fig. 12 to that shown in Fig. 13, the offset arm portion 97 may be latched out of the way behind the lug 98 for free opening and closing of the leg assemblies.

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes a preferred form of the invention, it is also to be understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention and that such mechanical arrangement and commercial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appendant claims are intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention what is claimed and desired Vto be obtained by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A folding chair including a seat, a front leg assembly including a front rail, a U-shaped support wire pivotally interconnecting said front rail to the underside of said seat, a rear leg assembly including a rear rail, C- shaped link hinges pivotally connecting said rear leg assembly to the underside of said seat, said U-shaped support wire and said C-shaped link hinges providing means whereby said leg assemblies may be folded flat against the underside of said seat, side rail means pivotally mounted by link hinges on the underside of said seat, including latch means to hold said side rails in open vertical position relative to said seat when said leg assemblies are in opened position, means for securing said front and rear rails to the underside of said seat, and locking means at the ends of said .side rails engaging said leg assemblies to hold said assemblies in opened position.

2. A folding chair including a seat, a front leg assembly including a front rail, a U-shaped support wire pivotally interconnecting said front rail to the underside of said seat, a rear leg assembly including a rear rail, C-shaped link hinges pivotally connecting said rear leg assembly to the underside of said seat, said U-shaped support wire and said C-shaped link hinges providing means whereby said leg assemblies may be folded dat against the underside of said seat, side rail means pivotally mounted by link hinges on the underside of said seat, including latch means to hold said side rails in open vertical position relative to said seat when said leg assemblies are in opened position, means for securing said front and rear rails to the underside of said seat, locking means at the ends of said side rails engaging said leg assemblies to hold said assemblies in opened position, and clamp means including a sliding cam bar manually actuable to simutaneously hold said leg assemblies in folded up position against the underside of said seat.

3. A folding chair including a seat, a front leg assembly including a front rail, a U-shaped support wire pivotally interconnecting said front rail to the underside of said seat, a rear leg assembly including a rear rail, C- shaped link hinges pivotally connecting said rear leg assembly to the underside of said seat, said U-shaped support wire and said C-shaped link hinges providing means whereby said leg assemblies may be folded fiat against the underside of said seat, side rail means pivotally mounted by link hinges on the underside of said seat, including latch means to hold said side rails in open vertical position relative to said seat when said leg assemblies Iare in opened position, means for securing said front and rear rails to the underside of said seat, locking means at the ends of said side rails eng-aging said leg assemblies to hold said assemblies in opened position, clamp means including a sliding cam bar manually actuable to simultaneously hold said leg assemblies in folded up position against the underside of said seat, said clamp means including locking cranks actuated by said cam bar to engage the rear lower surfaces of the legs of said rear leg assembly, a lock screw on said cam bar engaging a Inating slot in said front rail, and manually operated indexing means for holding said cam bar in released or clamped position on the underside of said seat.

4. A folding furniture apparatus including a horizontal load supporting element, a front leg assembly including a front rail, a U-shaped support wire pivotally interconnecting said front rail to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, a rear leg assembly including a rear rail, C-shaped link hinges pivotally connecting said rear leg assembly to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, said U-shaped support wire land said C-shaped link hinges providing means whereby said leg assemblies may be folded at against the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, side rail means pivotally mounted by link hinges on the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, including latch means to hold said side rails in open vertical position relative to said horizontal load supporting element when said leg assemblies are in opened position, means for securing said front and rear rails to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, and locking means at the ends of said side rails engaging said leg assemblies to hold said assemblies in opened position.

5. A folding furniture apparatus including a horizontal load supporting eelment, a front leg assembly including a front rail, a U-shaped support wire pivotally interconnecting said front rail to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, a rear leg assembly including a rear rail, C-shaped link hinges pivotally connecting said rear leg assembly to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, said U-shaped support wire and said C-shaped link hinges providing means whereby said leg assemblies may be folded flat against the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, side rail means pivotally mounted by link hinges on the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, including latch means to hold said side rails in open vertical position relative to said horizontal load supporting element when said leg assemblies are in opened position, means for securing said front and rear rails to the under side of said horizontal load supportaveaoeo ing element, locking means at the ends of said side rails engaging said leg assemblies to hold said assemblies in opened position, and clamp means including a sliding cam bar manually actuable to simultaneously hold said leg assemblies in folded up position against the under side of said horizontal load supporting element.

6. A folding furniture apparatus including a seat, a iront leg assembly including a front rail, a U-shaped support wire pivotally interconnecting Isaid front rail to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, a rear leg assembly including a rear rail, C-shaped link hinges pivotally connecting said rear leg assembly to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, said U-shaped support Wire and said C-shaped link hinges providing means whereby said leg assemblies may be folded flat against the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, side rail means pivotally mounted by link hinges on the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, including latch means to hold said side rails in open vertical position relative to said horizontal load supporting element when said leg assemblies are in opened position, means for securing said front and rear rails to the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, locking means at the ends of said side rails engaging said leg assemblies to hold said assemblies in opened position, clamp means including a sliding cam bar manually actuable to simultaneously hold said leg assemblies in folded up position lagainst the under side of said horizontal load supporting element, said clamp means including locking cranks actuated by said cam bar to engage the rear lower surfaces of the legs of said rear leg assembly, a lock screw on said cam bar engaging a mating slot in said front r-ail, and manually operated indexing means for holding said cam bar in released or clamped position on the under side of said horizontal load supporting element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 216,803 Morse a .Tune 24, 1879 370,265 Lambkin Sept. 20, 1887 510,232 Bassett Dec. 5, 1893 1,300,862 Otte Apr. 15, 1919 1,970,019 Matthew Aug. 14, 1934 2,003,008 Perl May 28, 1935 

